Growing Platform Tennis in Atlanta:
Installing Platform Tennis Courts
and Building a Program at RCS
Atlanta, GA
May 2009
The Racquet Club of the South
6350 Courtside Drive
Atlanta, GA 30092
(770) 449-6060
www.rcstennis.com
Prepared by Steve Gareleck,
New Owner/Operator
Table of Contents
 Executive Summary
 Platform Tennis in Atlanta
 The Racquet Club of the South (RCS)
 The Plan for Platform Tennis at RCS
 Letter from RCS Tennis Director
 Atlanta Platform Court Map
 RCS Platform Court Site Plan
Executive Summary
Steve Gareleck, the new owner/operator of the Racquet Club of the South
(RCS), a large, semi-public indoor / outdoor tennis facility in a northeastern
suburb of Atlanta, seeks to build a platform tennis program as part of his
strategic overhaul of this once proud and impressive facility. Steve is well
known in Atlanta as both a successful entrepreneur and most recently the
owner of the first private (backyard) platform tennis court and “Whale Bar”
in town.
RCS was built and boomed in the early ‘70s as an extraordinary tennis
facility with 8 indoor and 21 outdoor courts, including a stadium court, plus
pool, casual dining, bar, gym and pro-shop. At its peak there were some
1100 members, but the club has been in decline for years, to a low last
summer of 200ish members. Steve stepped in to “buy” the operating rights
from the non-profit foundation of the Southern Division of the USTA, which
owns the land (22 acres). Since September, Steve and team have begun a
significant refurbishment of the physical plant and a very creative set of
initiatives to rebuild the programmatic side of the club, with heavy USTA
involvement, and which by all measures is succeeding – a feat many thought
not possible.
RCS respectfully seeks a grant of $20,000 from the American Platform
Tennis Association (APTA) to help fund the purchase and construction of 2
(used) courts, surrounding grounds (with space for 4) and a pavilion
structure, which we plan to have in place for the upcoming season (‘09/’10).
We will launch a paddle program and offer a paddle & gym membership
option, to include membership in the APTA. Our next hire as we grow our
tennis pro staff will be a dual paddle / tennis person, the first in Atlanta.
We will work closely with the very successful Peachtree Paddle League that
Peter Lauer runs, and the PPL has committed to a (modest) financial
contribution as well. We will field a team and schedule League matches on
our new courts, which will be the 6th & 7th in Atlanta. We are excited by this
opportunity and plan to act quickly. We very much hope the APTA will be
our partner and bet with us in this worthy endeavor, which will accelerate the
growth of the sport in Atlanta.
Platform Tennis in Atlanta
TENNIS: Atlanta, a city of 5M people with the busiest airport in the world,
is also home to the largest tennis league and playing population in the
country, called ALTA, with 80-100K players (all doubles). At the same
time, every other national tennis league is active here (USTA, T2, KSwiss).
Wilson reports that Atlanta is their best tennis market in North America and
their head of sales, Jeffery Adams, is actually based here.
There is a seemingly bottomless reservoir of tennis talent including former
tour players and a “Pro-League” of some 60 of the best men who still
compete (for fun). There are numerous / massive public and semi public
tennis venues all over the city, though very few indoor courts. Virtually
every subdivision has at least 2 tennis courts, the minimum required to host
an ALTA team. No one seems to know how many tennis courts there are.
PLATFORM TENNIS: In 2004, Peter Lauer, another Yankee transplant to
Atlanta, with great help from the APTA, staged an exhibition on an old
wreck of a paddle court (known by the locals as the pig pen) at the Ansley
Golf Club. (Legend has it that Scott Bondurant was actually responsible for
having acquired this court years before when he lived in Atlanta). At the
time there were actually 2 old and largely unused courts, both in midtown
Atlanta, and in serious need of repair. The Piedmont Driving Club had an
old aluminum RJ Reilly court, also acquired, used, in the 1970s. Neither
club had a paddle program of any kind, nor teaching pros, lessons, etc. Each
club had a few loyal players, though all were local and had no real sense of
Platform Tennis on a national scale.
A year later, and with great help from Taylor Bowen, Peter formed the
Peachtree Paddle League http://www.peachtreepaddle.org/ with the stated
mission to grow the sport of Platform Tennis in the Atlanta area. Four years,
4 tournaments, 4 league championships, 3 exhibitions and 3 videos (directed
by Rem Reynolds) later, Atlanta has 6 (coed) teams with 160 paying League
players, an interactive website, 12 sponsors (including Wilson), a $12,000
operating budget, 3 brand new courts (Cherokee Town & Country Club in
Buckhead with 2, Steve Gareleck with 1 at his home), and a 4th new on the
way (replacing the Piedmont Driving Club court which was slated for
permanent removal), plus a refurbished court at Ansley, (and the Whale Bar
overlooking the private court), a distribution list of nearly 800 people, 6 of
10 Region VII PC players, and a dozen of the best tennis players in the city
now playing paddle.
We have active discussions and explicit interest expressed at the Board level
with 3 clubs (Druid Hills CC, Dunwoody CC and Racquet Club of the
South). We’ve had preliminary discussions with at least 4 other venues.
There is no reason (including weather) why paddle cannot grow to be huge in
Atlanta, and someday host the Nationals, following in the inspired footsteps
of Chicago.
Critical to the continued growth of the sport in Atlanta (and underway to
varying degrees), are:
-
Converting tennis players, with a target toward the high end players
Finding still more of the northern transplants who love paddle
Building more courts at more different venues spread around the city
Enabling easy, public (non country club) play
Teaching the teachers with PPTA help
Engaging more “points of light” – enthusiastic paddle “doers” (like
Steve Gareleck & Rem Reynolds along Tim Sullivan, Jamie Dockter,
Bob Stratton, Robert Watkins, Erik Becker and others)
- Getting more women onto the court
- Building a kids program
The Racquet Club of the South
http://www.rcstennis.com/facilities.php
The Racquet Club of the South (“RCS”), soon to officially be a not-for-profit
club, with the lease to be owned by the National Tennis Foundation, was in
the 1970s the premier tennis venue in greater Atlanta, and many people say
the entire Southest. It was remarkable both for its size and scale (22 acres /
29 courts, 8 of them indoor and other facilities and amenities, as well as its
affordability and egalitarian & affordable membership. In fact, it was and is
known as the “friendly” club in the area – a perfect fit for the paddle culture
we think. Much like a “local swim club”, anyone can join.
Family initiation is $100 - $400 (depending on when you join and which
programs you elect), with monthly dues ranging from $49 to $147,
depending on the type of membership and whether single or family, and the
club offers senior discounts. We even have a category of membership
specific to juniors ($20 /mo.) Guest fees are $10.
We have a great staff, an increasingly reengaged membership, and a new and
proactive board. Our adult and junior clinics are filled with both members
and non-members. The 21 outdoor and 8 indoor courts get the most play of
any club in the area.
We are also pleased to note that the Racquet Club of the South was just
named a regional training facility for the USTA (the 2nd in the country – the
1st is in DC). We have one of the largest junior tennis programs in the
country and are installing quick start tennis courts. With over 200 juniors
playing at the club on a regular basis, and thousands more being exposed to
the club through the high performance training programs done throughout the
year, as well as the many tournaments played at the club, Paddle courts and a
program will get an incredible amount of exposure to the tennis community.
The Plan for Paddle at RCS
1. Construction (Phase I – Spring/Summer ‘09) – Purchase 2 used courts,
grade the site (for 4 courts – see aerial), construct 2 courts along with
surrounding deck work, paths, landscaping, electrical and a pavilion
structure.
2. Funding - Along with the APTA & PPL contributions, the Racquet Club
of the South and the National Tennis Foundation (a not for profit
established February ’09 to support programs at RCS) will contribute the
balance of funds necessary to complete the construction and implement
the paddle program.
Expected total investment for Phase I is $80,000.
3. Programs – RCS has a group of paddle enthusiasts with whom we have
socialized the notion of platform courts and a program, and who are quite
excited & supportive of the idea. They have seen the progress at the club
since September ’08 and are becoming believers in the future. The prostaff as well has embraced the idea (see Grant Stafford’s letter below http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grant_Stafford).
The Staff and Board views paddle as a complimentary sport and another
value adding activity for the continued success of the newly energized
RCS. We will seek PPTA training and certification for our entire pro-staff
and intend to make our next (pro) hire a combination paddle & tennis
professional from the north, for which we have already begun preliminary
interviews.
With the advice and guidance of clubs with successful programs
elsewhere, we will organize clinics, private lessons, socials, and interclubs
and will be a site for play at the 5th Annual Peachtree Invitational NRT in
January ’10. We are also working on a winter tennis exhibition which we
would combine into a joint paddle event.
We will also become a site for play each week with the Peachtree Paddle
League and plan to organize an RCS team with Remington Reynolds as
likely Captain.
RCS will offer a limited paddle & gym only membership for which
membership in the APTA will be part of the (modest) initiation fee.
Existing club members (currently 300) who seek to use the new platform
venue will be asked and encouraged to join the APTA.
Letter from RCS Tennis Director
6350 Courtside Drive
Norcross, GA 30092
I am a part owner of the Racquet Club of the South here in Atlanta, and have seen the club grow in all
kinds of ways. Probably the most significant one; the club’s membership once was mostly senior
members, where as now we have a well balanced membership with many young junior members
joining every day. As we were named one of the two regional training facilities by the USTA, we have
one of the best and largest junior programs in the country, with almost 200 kids. We have 30 home
school kids that are here all day. Starting in August 2009, we are going to have an accredited private
school here at the club with a full academic program (teachers on site, lunch program etc.).
RCS has one of the largest, most diverse tennis programs in the United States. We also host many
tournaments, and would have a grand opening of the paddle courts with a tournament in the first week
of December with the Brian bothers and some of the other top players in the United States (at the same
time we have the Australian Open Wild Card event with Isner and other top US players who did not
make it directly into the main draw of the Australian Open). Australia gives one wild card to the
United States, where a tournament is played and the winner receives the wild card). We have over 20
other tournaments a year ranging from Level One is mostly a local tournament with around 250 kids
participating, while the other is a National Southern Open BG’s 18s Championships with a full 320
participants.
I am new to platform tennis, having only played it twice but already enjoy it, and can see how much
fun it will be to play on at RCS. I believe a number of our members will fall in love with Platform
Tennis once we have courts here. Our Indoor Tennis Courts are packed in the winter which leaves a
number of players playing tennis in the cold outside with the tennis ball not bouncing well. With
Platform Tennis Court, I am sure a number of them will take to it pretty rapidly. I personally will be
very interested in learning the game and eventually would like to get certified to be an instructor.
I believe the tennis staff here at RCS will be able to help make Platform Tennis a hit in the Atlanta
area. Platform is only offered at a few private clubs in Atlanta that are extremely expensive to get in,
and that have limited access, plus a single private court at Steve Gareleck’s house about 15 minutes
away from the club, we would be the only affordable club where anyone could play. I may be a little
biased to this since I love the club, the membership, and people I work with and can clearly see why
we are the best club in the area to promote Platform Tennis. I am looking forward to seeing some
Platform Courts at RCS next winter.
Thank you for the opportunity,
Grant Stafford
RCS Tennis Director
Retired Tour Player
Atlanta Platform Court Map
As of May 2009 there are 4 platform courts in Atlanta, with a 5th approved
and scheduled for construction at the Piedmont Driving Club in the Fall of
’09 (as a replacement court and part of their club reconstruction).
-
1at Ansley Golf Club (Midtown)
1 at Piedmont Driving Club (Midtown)
2 at Cherokee Town Club (Buckhead – near north)
1 at Gareleck Private Court (Sandy Springs – north)
- 2 (proposed) at RCS (far northeast)
- 2 (under consideration / footers built) at Druid Hills (east)
- 2 (under consideration / site selected) at Dunwoody (northeast)
Atlanta map showing current and future courts
RCS Platform Court Site Plan
The paddle courts (superimposed on the existing property’s aerial view, are
circled at the bottom right). We will use sloping land that is currently vacant,
and is located next to a driveway and is also accessible from an existing
access way between tennis courts. The pavilion will provide open air
covered space with seating and viewing, based upon the positive experience
that Cherokee Town Club has had with similar (a closed in warming hut is
not as necessary given Atlanta’s mild climate). The indoor court area also
contains a bar and casual dining which will provide a natural après paddle
draw that is such a part of paddle tradition.
Aerial view of RCS with 4 paddle courts superimposed
Main building with locker
rooms, restaurant, bar, fireplace,
workout facility etc.